Coder I

US Lawns; Hilo (HI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Paid Vacation

Health plans

Employee Assistance Program

State retirement system

Job summary

Hilo Benioff Medical Center is seeking a Coder I to translate clinical documentation into standardized codes. The role supports accurate reimbursement, data integrity, and compliance for hospital operations, quality programs, and public health reporting.

The position requires a high school diploma with ICD-10 training, plus one year of hospital coding experience and relevant certifications. Join HHSC East Hawaii Region and contribute to patient care and data accuracy.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent plus ICD-10 training completed within the last two years.
• Experience: One year of specialized health information management experience in a hospital or allied medical care facility.
• Coding Experience: One year of assigning current ICD-CM/PCS, CPT-4 and HCPCS codes in hospital settings.
• Certification: Valid CCA from AHIMA, or CPC-A or COC-A from AAPC; or CCS-P/CCS/AHIMA or CPC/COC/CIC from AAPC.

Responsibilities

• Review medical records and assign, abstract and sequence ICD-CM/PCS, CPT-4 and HCPCS codes for diagnoses, procedures and services.
• Analyze documentation for completeness and accuracy to support reimbursement and reporting.
• Query providers via EHR for documentation discrepancies and improve coding accuracy.
• Monitor coding quality and productivity; identify improper coding patterns and resolve issues.
• Prepare statistics, reports, and information for hospital operations and public health reporting.
• Provide coding support to billing and other departments while protecting patient confidentiality.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

ICD-10 training

CCA from AHIMA

CPC-A or COC-A from AAPC

CCS-P or CCS from AHIMA

CPC, COC or CIC from AAPC

Job description

Job Description

Join Hilo Benioff Medical Center and be part of a team that proudly cares for our friends, family, and neighbors across East Hawaiʻi.

Join Hilo Benioff Medical Center and play an important role in supporting accurate, timely healthcare reimbursement and high-quality patient information. As a Coder I, you will translate clinical documentation into standardized medical codes while helping ensure compliance, data integrity, and accurate information for reimbursement, quality programs, research, and public health reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Review medical records and accurately assign, abstract and sequence ICD-CM/PCS, CPT-4 and HCPCS codes for diagnoses, procedures, professional services, supplies and other treatments.
• Analyze clinical documentation for completeness and accuracy, applying established coding rules and guidelines to support appropriate reimbursement.
• Query providers through the electronic health record regarding documentation discrepancies, omissions, errors, or inconsistencies.
• Monitor coding quality and productivity standards, identify improper coding patterns, and assist in resolving coding-related issues.
• Compile and cross-index clinical data and prepare statistics, reports, abstracts, and information used for hospital operations, public health reporting, research, and quality programs.
• Provide coding support to billing and other departments, maintain current knowledge of coding guidelines, protect confidential patient information, and promote effective teamwork and customer service.

Required Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements. Please note that unless specifically indicated, the required education and experiences may not be gained concurrently. In addition, qualifying work experience is credited based on a 40-hour workweek.

Education: High school diploma or equivalent, plus ICD-10 training, coursework, or classes completed within the last two years.

Experience: One year of specialized experience in the health information management department of a hospital or allied medical care facility, including knowledge of medical records, medical terminology, health information management classification and coding systems, and the ability to analyze medical records and prepare reports and summaries.

Coding Experience: One year of experience assigning current ICD-CM/PCS, CPT-4, and HCPCS codes for diagnoses, procedures, and other services in a hospital or allied medical care facility.

Certification: Valid CCA from AHIMA, or CPC-A or COC-A from AAPC. We will also accept a CCS-P or CCS from AHIMA or a CPC, COC or CIC from AAPC.

Substitutions Allowed

• a. Excess Coding Experience may be substituted for Specialized Experience.
• b. Successful completion of an associate degree in a health information technology program (HIT) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs may be substituted for the Specialized Experience.
• c. Successful completion of an associate degree in a health information technology program (HIT) in a foreign country whose professional association has an agreement of reciprocity with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) may be substituted for the Specialized Experience.
• d. Successful completion of the correspondence course or the AHIMA Independent Study Programs in health information technology (HIT) andan associate’s degree from an accredited college may be substituted for the Specialized Experience.
• e. Possession of a current Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certificate received through successful qualification on the national accreditation examination administered by the American Health Information Management Association may be substituted for the Specialized Experience.

If a degree is used to substitute for the education requirement, it may not be used again towards the experience requirement. If work experience is used to substitute for education, it may not be used again to meet the experience requirement. If the applicant holds more than one degree, transcripts must be provided, and a thorough review will be conducted by the human resources staff in order for more than one degree to be credited toward the minimum qualification requirements (if applicable).

Company Description

As the Big Island’s leading providers of inpatient and outpatient care, the East Hawaii Region of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), consisting of Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Honoka'a Hospital, Ka′u Hospital, Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, East Hawaii Medical Group and East Hawaii Health Pharmacy, delivers a full range of services and programs. Our three hospitals include 290 beds and more than 1,900 employees. Our medical staff is comprised of 250 physicians, physician assistants and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, representing 33 specialties. East Hawaii Health is our network of clinics offering primary and specialty care. Hilo Benioff Medical Center functions as a Level III Trauma Center, which includes the second busiest emergency room in the state, providing 24-hour care and serving more than 50,000 patients annually. Honoka'a Hospital and Ka′u Hospital are designated as Critical Access Hospitals. To learn more about the East Hawaii Region, please watch our Video Yearbook or visit www.hbmc.org, www.honokaahospital.org or www.kauhospital.org.

Benefits

• 13 paid holidays each year (104 hours); 14 (112 hours) during election years*
• 21 paid vacation days (168 hours) per year*
• 21 paid sick days (168 hours) per year*
• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Participation in the State of Hawaii’s retirement system
• Potential eligibility for various student loan repayment & scholarship programs

* Rates listed for paid holidays, vacation and sick days are for 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions assigned to 8 hour shifts. Accruals for these benefits are otherwise prorated based on FTE.

Pre-Employment Health Requirements

Offers of employment will be contingent on successfully passing a pre-employment examination, which includes a drug screen and other regulatory medical requirements such as, but not limited to, a tuberculosis (TB) screen. The cost for drug screening and blood draw for QuantiFERON and Titers, shall be borne by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Pre-Employment Assessments for External Candidates

As part of the recruiting process for this position, external applicants (job applicants NOTemployed byHHSC’s East Hawaii Region)are required to complete pre-employment assessments shortly after application submission. If you are notan employee of the East Hawaii Region of HHSC, youwill receive an email containing assessment instructions. We ask that you complete the assessments within two days of receipt of the request.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is a drug free workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Shift Details

Must be available to work shifts, weekends and holidays as necessary based on hospital operations. Services are provided 24/7.